THE REPUBLIC vs. KOFI ADUSEI , EX-PARTE: VICTORIA MAWULI OKINE [2022]DLHC12027

Date	2022-06-28
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CR/0527/2021
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC12027

HIS LORDSHIP CHARLES GYAMFI DANQUAH J..

PRINCE FREDERICK NII- ASHIE NEEQUAYE ESQ. FOR APPLICANT.

THEODORE EBENEZER NII AYI-BONTE ESQ. FOR CHRISTOPHER LARTEY ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2022]DLHC12027
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE
REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>KOFI ADUSEI <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EX-PARTE: VICTORIA MAWULI OKINE<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. CR/0527/2021&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:
28TH&nbsp;JUNE 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>PRINCE FREDERICK NII-
ASHIE NEEQUAYE ESQ. FOR APPLICANT.,<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">THEODORE EBENEZER NII
AYI-BONTE ESQ. FOR CHRISTOPHER LARTEY ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP CHARLES
GYAMFI DANQUAH J.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>THE LAW ON CONTEMPT OF COURT<o:p></o:p>The jurisdiction of the High Court to commit for contempt of
Court is derived from the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992. Article
126 clause 2 of the said Constitution states that the Superior Courts shall be
superior courts of record and shall have the power to commit for contempt to
themselves and all such powers as were vested in a court of record immediately
before the coming into force of the Constitution. See also Section 36 of the
Courts Act, 1993 Act 459 as amended. The procedural Rules for bringing contempt
application to the Court are also contained in the High Court (Civil Procedure)
Rules 2004 CI 47 at Order 50.<o:p></o:p>In the case of the Republic vs High Court, Accra; Ex-Parte
Leayea Mensah (1998-1999) SCGLR 360 at 368 Her Ladyship Bamford Addo, JSC
stated as follows;<o:p></o:p>“By definition, a
person commits contempt and may be committed to prison for wilfully disobeying
an order of a Court requiring him to do any act other than the payment of money
or abstain from doing some act and the order sought to be enforced should be
unambiguous and must be clearly understood by the parties concerned. The reason
is that a Court will only punish as contempt, a wilful breach of a clear Court
order requiring obedience to its performance. Therefore, disobedience which is
found not to be wilful cannot be punished.” <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The underlying principle for bringing an application for
committal for contempt in sum is that the contemnor or the respondent has
intentionally and wilfully disobeyed an order of the Court or obstructed the
administration of justice. His Lordship Acquah, JSC (as he then was) in the
case of In Re Effiduase Stool Affairs (No. 2); Republic vs Nimapau,
President&nbsp; of&nbsp; the National House of Chiefs and Others;
Ex-Parte Ameyaw ll (No. 2) (1998-99) SCGLR 639&nbsp;
defined contempt of Court as follows;<o:p></o:p>“Contempt of Court
was constituted by any act or conduct that tended to bring the authority and
administration of the law into disrespect or disregard or to interfere with, or
prejudice parties, litigants, or their witnesses in respect of pending
proceedings. And contempt of court might be classified either as direct and
indirect or civil and criminal. Direct contempt were those committed in the
immediate view and presence of the Court (such as insulting language or acts of
violence) or so near the presence of the court as to obstruct or interrupt the
due and orderly course of proceedings. Indirect or Constructive contempts were
those arising from matters not occurring in or near the presence of the Court,
but which tended to obstruct or defeat the administration of justice, such as
failure or refusal of a party to obey a lawful order, injunction or decree of
the Court laying upon him a duty of action or forbearance. Civil contempts were
thos</main>